India’s Open team won silver and the women’s team took bronze at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand on Sunday, completing a rare double podium.

The Open side drew 2-2 with Hungary in the final round. World champion D Gukesh lost to Gleb Dudin, but Arjun Erigaisi beat Peter Leko to secure the shared result. Hosts Uzbekistan won the gold after beating Ukraine 2.5-1.5, with India taking silver on tiebreaks ahead of Germany.

The women’s team also drew 2-2 with Georgia. Savitha Shri held Meri Arabidze to a draw from a difficult position, sealing third place. China won the women’s gold, their seventh title, while Kazakhstan took silver.

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra hailed the result on social media, posting that backing up the double-gold triumph of 2024 with another double podium “shows real depth.” He added a chemical metaphor: silver is a noble metal in its own right, while bronze is an alloy forged from elements brought together.

India were the only nation to finish on the podium in both sections at the Olympiad. The back-to-back double podiums confirm India as a leading force in world team chess.